Gastro Monkey // 美食家

One of my favorite places in Taiwan is Tea Mountain (茶山). Since my aunt lives in Chiayi, she is relatively close and makes a lot of random trips up the mountains. So, while everyone is rushing up Alishan, she is  out exploring the neighboring mountains. While I do feel that everyone visiting Taiwan should see Alishan at least once, there are other places that are worth visiting too, such as Tea Mountain. There are a few homestays available, and they are primarily in Chinese. If you have someone who can read/write/speak Chinese, life will be much easier if you wish to come here. Of course, you won't be denied if you only speak English, it just makes it easier to communicate with everyone.  If you can get past that first hurdle of booking a weekend at one of the homestays on Tea Mountain, the rest is just relaxation and a fun weekend. Food is included, along with being brought around to partake in some fun outdoor activities. One of the lunches we had - under that bamb...

I also posted a shorter blurb about this in my Tainan Travelogue back in January. Since I figured not everyone would want to read the entire thing or even skim to find this entry, I am making a short separate entry just for Huangji. There is another eel noodle place that I prefer, but my cousin mentioned that their taste isn't the same anymore and that the quality went down (recently posted about it here ). She suggested I try Huangji instead since her friend had gone recently and said it was really good. I was pretty excited to try it. I don't always have time to make it to Tainan, so there is more time spent thinking about this eel versus me actually eating it. Yes, in case you weren't sure, I travel for food. While the eel was perfect with that crisp bite, and the sauce/soup just right, the noodles were a bit overcooked and too soft for my liking. It is also hard to find a place to sit here. It's at the corner of a busy market with other shops so figuring out w...

One of the must eat items in Tainan is eel with e-noodles. I believe you can get it all around the island, but it's famous in Tainan. Most importantly, it tastes better here. A fair amount of Taiwanese food has a goopy, sweet sauce that sometimes is referred to as "soup." It isn't pretty, but when it's done well, it tastes fantastic. At Jinfu, as soon as I smell the familiar sweet smell of the "soup" I am hungry. No matter how much I've eaten prior. It's that good.  The eels are de-boned, so feel free to take big bites! They have other options too, like cuttlefish. I have seen people eating completely different items, but the eels are their specialty. The last time I went was December of 2015 and the noodles, soup, and fish were all fantastic. It's not a pretty dish, but the flavor is so full of umami that you forget how it looks and just devour the entire bowl.  What's it like eating the eel? Eel is kind of a scary animal for many p...

This past trip out to Taiwan, I had the most amazing congee ever. I am not usually a seafood for breakfast type of person, but there are two exceptions: unidon in Otaru, and this amazing congee in Tainan. Each bowl (depending on your order) is filled with all sorts of goodies like milkfish (fresh, fried, and whole), local sweet Tainan oysters, and goes great with a side order of oily sticks. The contrast of the fried fish and oily sticks against the clean fish broth, rice, and non-fried milkfish is fantastic. I thought I was going to struggle to eat the entire bowl but I had no trouble at all. I am actually sad that I am not eating it right now, but it does give me resolve to visit Tainan again the next time I am in Taiwan! Please note - like many places in Taiwan, this place is cash only. Chock full of fish and oysters! One more for the cheap seats in the back! Address: No. 728, Section 1, Ximen Rd,  West Central District Tainan City, Taiwan 700